Reineckea

Another small genus of plants, with 1 or 2 species, hailing from the China and Japan. Tough evergreen, narrow, upright, foliage which takes shade and dry shade very well. In late autumn, small spikes of flowers mingle amongst the foliage.

Although attracting pollinators, the flower spikes of Reineckea are rather unassuming, often tucked away in a shady spot and produced at a time of year when the rest of the garden is quietening down from its late summer early autumn flowering. The persistent foliage must provide shelter for invertebrates, amphibians and small mammals, the latter of which may well eat the berries that are produced in warmer areas.